Clothes rack



E J. BLOOM Dec. 10, 1929.

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idatented Dec. 10, '1929 PATENT OFFCE EDGAR J.`IBLOOM, OF TIFFIN, OHIO onori-ins RACK Application led October 21, 192'?. Serial No. 227,749.

This invention relates to a clothes rack utilizing side trames ot the lazy tongs type connected by cross rods.

The primary object ot the invention is to provide an extensible raclr ot this type which can be shipped in a lrnoclrdown condition and subsequently assembled readily, the

parts, when once assembied, being heid together permanently and iirmly so that the rack will not sag or come apart. p

Racks ot the kind mentioned have heretotore been made in knock-down form but in view ot the ditl'erent lengths et cross rods necessarily employed, it has frequently hap N pened that, when the racks have been assembled, short rods have been placed where long `rods should be iocated and, as these rods have been locked in place as soon as assembled, the rack when set up tor use has been distorted and uniit tor sale. `Consequently great care has been necessary heretofore in assembling the parts to avoid placing them in wrong positions.

lt is an object of the present invention to form the rack with cross rods et uniform length so `that any rod can be placed in any position when the raclr is assembled and, consequently, there is no danger of making a wrong assembly of the parts.

A further object is to provide a rack ot increased strength due to the tact that the pivotal connections between the members oi the side trames are ot minimum size, requiring holes or' much less diameter than have heretofore been utilized where the cross rods have been extended directly into the joints betweenthe iframe members.

A further object is to provide the rack with locking means tor holding the cross rods to the side trame, these locking means being located entirely outside of the trame members so that a strong structure can thus be produced.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ot parts and in the detaiis of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ot the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing trom the spirit oi. the invention.

ln the accompanying drawings, the preferred tor-m ot the invention has been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view ot a clothes rack embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section through one ot the joints ot the rack, showing one end ot `so a cross rod locked to one ot the pivots of one side trame.

Figure 3 is a section through one side trame showing a connection between one of the cross rods and one ot the side trame members at a i c5 point where one thickness only ot the side trame is provided.

Figure i is a section on line 4 4, Figure 3. Figure 5 is a section through one of the locking caps or ierrules which may be used '7o for hoiding a cross rod to a side trame.

Figure 6 is an end view of said cap or ferrule.

Figure 7 is a side elevation ot one oit' the combined pivots and dowels.

Referring to the gures by characters of reference l designates the uprights ot a side 'frame et the rack, these uprights heilig connected by a lazy tong connection consisting of crossed strips 2 and 3 pivotally connected at their points of crossing, the strips 2 which extend trom the upper ends or the standards l being longer than the remaining strips 3. it is to be understood, however, that any desired arrangement of pivotally connected strips can be used, it merely being necessary to have them assembled `in such a way that the trame can be collapsed by moving the uprights l toward each other and extended by moving` them from each other. Two ot these side trames are employed, these frames being bot-hei" the same construction. The members ot each trame are connected by pivot pins 4 the outer ends of which are adapted to be upset or `headed as shown at 5, washers 6 being preferably employed tor engagement by the heads ot the pivot pins. Each pin has a shoulder i extending therearound, the distance between this shoulder and the head 5 of the pin being equal to the thickness oi two l 12, and extending into a cap orferrule 13 hav-l frame members. Extending from the shouldered end of each pin is a dowel 8 the diameter of which is preferably somewhat greater than that of the main portion of the pin 4, there being an annular groove 9 at the base of the dowel as shown. At those points where the frame members 2 and 3 are in lapped relation and where'these members lap the standards 1 the'pivot pins 4 extend through the lapping members and form firm connections therebetween. The dowels 8 of the pins are adapted to project into bores 1() formed in the ends of vcross rods 11, each bore being counterbored at ing a central opening 14 for the reception of ythe dowel. andthe shoulder 7 Prongs 15 are pressed. inwardly inr the formation of the opening 14andare designed, whenthe rods 11 are placed in position on the dowels, to snap yinto-theannular'groove r9, thereby locking the rods to the pins 4 and preventing the parts frompbein-g separated. The ferrules can be y heldxto-therods 1.1 inan'y well known manner,

asby lforming spaced Adepressions in the ferrulesafter they haveV been fitted tightly on the ruclsll'f..V .This means of attaching the ferrules is so obvious that it is not deemed necessary to i show th'esame.` v

f disks be Vplaced on the inner sides of the frames ofthe rack, as shown for example in Figure 3. Atv other places, however, it is necessary thatthe disks be located on the outer sides of the frame. Disks positioned in this manner havebeen indicated at 17 in Figure 1. It. is'to beunderstood that the pivot pins,

Y .frame members and spacing disks are assembled in proper relation to each other at the.A factory. The rods 11 are all cut to the same :lengths and havek their ends finished the same way.` ,The partsare bundled into conipact'rform and shipped lto the merchant who assembles them simply by forcing the ends of the rods onto theprojecting dowels, the parts 15Vand-9 cooperating to ,lock the rods to the dowels. 1 It will bev noted that the dowels 8 'havegclose fitting engagement in the bores 10 and the Vends of-rods 1v1 have a similar fit in the caps 13 so that when the rods,fcaps and dowels are assembled they remaininposition.l 'lf adn -diti'onal securing Vmeans are desired, holes may be provided-in caps 13 for braids to be Vdriven into the rods or a prick punch may be used to indent `the caps 13y and form projecting portions which extend into the rods 11, or any other suitable securing means may be employed. As all of the rods are of the same length there is no danger of placing them in wrong` positions. Consequently the rack can be easily assembled by any one. As the pivot pins 4 are of small diameter, it is only necessary to forml small openings in the frame members to receive these pins. Consequently these frame members are not weakened as would be the case should it be necessary to provide large bores for the reception of thc cross rods.

Although the rods have been shown locked to the pivot pins by the specific means dcscribed,V it is to be understood that any other means may be utilized for this purpose.

That is claimed is:

1. A Acollapsible knock-down rack including frame members each consisting of up;

rights and lazy tong connections between the uprights, pins extending through the side frames, certain ot'. said pins constituting pivotal connections between the members of the frames, a dowel at one end of each pin, all of the pins and their dowels being of the same size, cross rods having recessed ends for the reception of dowels, all ot the cross rods being of' the same length, and cooperating means upon the cross rods and dowels for locking said rods to the dowels.

2. A collapsible knock-down rack including lend frames each comprising standards and a lazy tong connection between the standards, pins extending through the end frames7 certain of said pins constituting the pivotal connections between the members of the end frames, a dowel at one end of each pin, all oll the pins with their. dowels being of the same size, spacing elements upon certain of the pins for holding the dowels of said pins projected inwardly from the frame the same distance as the dowels of the other pins, cross reds of uniform lengths for engagement with corresponding dowels on the opposed frames, and cooperating means upon the cross rods and the dowels for locking said rodsto the dowels.

3. A collapsible knock-down rack including Aend` frames each comprising standards and a lazy tong connection between the standards, pins extending through the end frames, certain of said pins constituting the pivotal connections between the members of the end frames, a dowel at one end of each pin, all of the pins with their dowels being of the same size, spacing elements upon certain of the pins for holding the dowels of said pins projected inwardly from the frame the same distance as the dowels of the other pins, cross rods of uniform lengths for engagement with corresponding dowels on the opposed frames, and cooperating means upon the cross rods and the dowels for locking said rods to the llo dowels, said means being located entirely without the frame.

1l. A knock-down rack including frames made up of suitably connected members, pivot pins extending through the members, all of the pins being of the same size, certain of said pins constituting pivotal connections between the members, spacing means upon the other pins for holding them projected from the frame the same distance as the pivot pins, cross reus all of the same length, dovvels carried by the pins for engagement by the ends of the cross rods, and cooperating means upon the cross rods and dowels and wholly outside of the frame for locking the cross rods to the dowels.

5. A knock-down rack including end frames each comprising standards and a lazy tong connection between the standards, a plurality of rods all of the same length insertible between the end frames, and means projecting from the end frames for engaging the outer surface of and a bore within the ends of the rods to lock said rods to the frames.

A knock-down rack including end frames each comprising standards and a lazy tong connection between the standards, a plurality of rods all of the same length insertible between the end frames, and means of uniform length projecting from the end frames for engagement in bores in the ends of the roes, and other means disposed between the ends of the rods and the end frames and having iianged portions of uniform length for closely engaging the outer surfaces of the ends of the rods.

7. A collapsible rack comprising fold able standards composed of pivoted members disposed in side by side engagement, pivot pins of small diameter extending through adjacent pairs of said members and having enlargements disposed on the outer sides of each pair of said members to retain them in assembled relation, each of the pins eX- tending at one end beyond the adjacent member and provided with a shouldered recess, perforated elements engaging the recesses, and rods of uniform length having bores at either end to receive the extensions `of the pins.

8. A collapsible rack comprising foldable standards composed of pivoted members disposed in side by side engagement, pivot pins of small diameter extending through adja cent pairs of said members and having enlargements disposed on the outer sides of each pair of said members to retain them in assembled relation, each of the pins extending at one end beyond the adjacent member and j enlarged and provided with a shouldered recess, perforated flanged discs engaging the recesses on the pins, and rods of uniform length having bores to receive the extensions of the pins with close fitting engagement and ture.

EDGAR J. BLOOM. 

